Shedeur Sanders’ path to the NFL didn’t follow the script many expected, slipping to the fifth round of the 2025 draft. Now with the Cleveland Browns, he’s focused solely on growth, not resentment. Rather than dwelling on his draft position, he’s immersing himself in the playbook and adapting to life in Cleveland.
Over the first two days of rookie camp, Sanders said he’s enjoyed returning to a team setting, appreciating the camaraderie after a draft process that was “more individualized.”
Shedeur Sanders Is Embracing the Browns Quarterback Battle With Optimism
Sanders is approaching his NFL career with the right mindset, despite his unexpected slide to the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft. Unlike many who may be discouraged by the slide, the Cleveland Browns’ rookie quarterback isn’t acting like someone on the roster bubble.
Instead, Sanders is determined to make his mark, fully believing in his ability to compete for the starting role.
“My job here isn’t to prove people wrong,” Sanders stated at Browns rookie minicamp. “I prove myself right. I fully have self-belief.”
“My job here isn’t to prove people wrong, It’s to prove myself right” is an amazing quote, I love it 🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/BFCB36vUzU
— J Cle (@_JCle_) May 11, 2025
In a draft where five quarterbacks were selected ahead of him, Sanders was often considered the second-best quarterback in the class by many mock drafts. Despite his perceived high potential, the Browns took Dillon Gabriel in the third round before trading up to select Sanders in the fifth.
This fall to the later rounds adds pressure on Sanders, but it’s something he isn’t focused on. Instead, he remains fully absorbed in his work.
“It’s day by day,” Sanders explained. “I just find something I want to perfect and just perfect it to the best of my abilities, and that’s all I really focus on. And just being there, just being a leader, being a great teammate, doing what I need to do whenever it is. So I’m just thankful for an opportunity.
“Things could have been a lot worse, but I’m here smiling in front of you all at this facility right now.”
With his self-confidence intact, Sanders is ready to prove himself in a quarterback room that features a mix of veterans and young talent. Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, Gabriel, and Deshaun Watson, who is expected to miss the 2025 season with an Achilles injury, make up the competition.
While the room is crowded, it remains relatively weak, offering Sanders a realistic chance to seize the starting position in Year 1.
“I just feel like, in life, in everything, it’s just me versus me,” Sanders said when discussing the competition. “I can’t control any other decision besides that. I just try to be my best self at all times.”
The Browns’ quarterback situation has been a struggle for years. Over the past two seasons, Cleveland has started seven quarterbacks, and since 1999, the team has used 40 different quarterbacks—more than any other franchise in the NFL during that time.
This constant turnover has contributed to the Browns finishing above .500 only four times since 1999.
KEEP READING: ‘I Only Know One Way To Work’—Dillon Gabriel Embraces QB Battle With Shedeur Sanders
Now, with no clear long-term answer under center, the Browns’ quarterback situation is as open as it has been in years. Sanders’ poise and confidence have already impressed coaches, and though he’s splitting reps with Gabriel, he’s waiting for his moment to make an impact. The opportunity is there for Sanders to take control.
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